Marhinki: An Unexpected Love
by PrincessCCCC
Summary: (Mari x Sohinki) The story of their friendship blossoming into something more; through the struggles of work, Iancorn drama, and most of all, Mari's upcoming wedding!
1. Chapter 1

**Marhinki**

Mari ran her fingers over the small diamond that would decorate her left hand for the rest of eternity. She pulled it off her finger, bringing it closer to her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would disappear if she didn't look at it. She opened her eyes one at a time, and sighed as she slid the ever present ball and chain back onto her finger.

She leaned back into her chair, staring at the ceiling. The thoughts that had been consuming her all morning found her once again. _Why did I agree to this? Why can't I just tell him no? Most importantly, why does everybody have to know about it? And why on earth, is it so hard to tell them?_

She ran through the faces of her friends in her head. _Ian, Anthony, Jovie, Lasercorn, Flitz, and of course Sohinki. I wonder if he would let me call him Matt?_ At that moment, Sohinki barged through the door. "Speak of the devil." She muttered, a slight smile on her face. Sohinki smiled back, but without any idea why he was smiling. He cleared his throat.

"Sooo I'm assuming you haven't heard yet?" She shook her head. He leaned farther through the door, eager to let her in on the secret. "Ian and Lasercorn are like, together." It took a few seconds for it to sink in, but when it did, her brain overflowed with questions.

"Wait, like, Ian Hecox and David Moss?"

"The very same." She slumped down in her seat, and then immediately sat back up.

"Isn't he married?" Sohinki stepped through the door rather awkwardly; not sure whether or not to sit down.

"Well, I don't have the full story, but I think they filed for divorce a while ago. I have no idea how he kept it from me…" His voice trailed off in the direction of that thought, and his eyebrows pulled together in confusion. Mari interrupted his thought impatiently.

"And?" He cleared his throat again, getting back on track.

"Anyway, they're together now. They told me to keep it a secret, but… well…" His palms moistened as he realized what he'd just revealed. The corner of Mari's mouth pulled up in a rather sad smile.

"But you can't keep anything from me, can you?" She looked away from him, ending the conversation. Matt wished so badly to continue that thought. To give the answer to that rhetorical question. _You'd be surprised,_ he thought to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Matt stared at her for a second too long, and then turned and left. With the overall goal of impressing her, he set off to find Lasercorn; hoping to be the only one she could get dirt from. He dug his toes into the carpet as he walked, scrapping his shoes.

With Lasercorn and Ian having disappeared off the face of the earth, the only thing he wanted to do was go back to Mari. But he was torn from his goal as Wes called him over to help with an editing technicality.

As he stuffed his arms through his sweatshirt, he heard the break room door swing open. He jumped, turning to see who was there. Mari's cautious expression calmed him down immediately. "Sorry, I thought I was the last one here." He said, rather breathlessly. She chuckled.

"Me too." They smiled at each other, and she walked past him to get her stuff. He wiggled his other arm through his jacket, and started for the door; his car keys in his hand. "Wait, Sohinki!" He turned around to face her as she jogged towards him.

"Yes?" He watched as she fought against the words she needed to say.

"Uhh, well…" She bit her lip. "I don't exactly know how to put this but, I wanted to tell you before the others." She took a deep breath, releasing the air through pursed lips. The words fell from her mouth as she spit them out. "I'm getting married."

Sohinki's face went white. He nodded his head as he processed. "To Peter?" She nodded. He looked down at his shoes, fighting the urge to cry. "Well uh, that's rather sudden." Mari laughed without humor.

"We've been together five years, Sohinki." His face flushed.

"Oh, right." The silence was deafening. Both of them staring at their shoes, both of them wanting to comfort the other; but having no idea how.

Sohinki sniffled, bringing his eyes up to meet Mari's. He rolled his shoulders back, preparing to leave. "Before you go and have lots of adventures and babies, could you do me a favor?"

"What?" Mari met his depressed gaze.

"Call me Matt."


	3. Chapter 3

Sohinki pulled into his driveway. As he turned the key, and the engine purred to a halt, he felt the rush of emotion he had been holding back overtake him. He leaned his forehead against the steering wheel as tears trickled down his cheeks. He started thinking about all the people who had enough hold on him to make him cry. He only had a list of 2 or 3 after 10 minutes of contemplation.

With no one here to comfort him, he forced himself to get up; to walk into his apartment. Every movement had a sour aftertaste, as he thought about what had happened today. About how sad Mari had looked this morning. How she was even sadder when admitting something that should have brought her joy.

His head snapped up. His eyes widening as he realized the obvious. The words fell into place one at a time. _She. doesn't. want. to. marry. him._ A smile immediately spread across his face. He tried again and again to scold himself into being sad about that fact, but he couldn't suppress his happiness.

He sunk back into his couch as he realized his happiness had been misplaced. _If she didn't want to marry him, why did she say yes?_ He slumped over sideways. Letting his head smush the armrest. _Why doesn't my happiness last?_

As Mari walked up to her door, she saw Peter's pacing outline through the front curtain. She watched as he sat down momentarily, only to stand and walk in circles once more. He ran his hand through his hair. As she leaned to see in the window, her foot lost its traction against the slightly damp concrete. She slipped backwards, but caught herself against the railing on the other side of the stairs.

The crashing metal noise it made sounded like thunder. She saw Peter freeze, and walk towards the door. She stood to face him, but as his footsteps approached, she became less and less determined. The doorknob turned, and she lost the strength to look at him. She turned and bolted; racing to her car and praying that he wouldn't chase her.

"Mari! Wait!" He called after her, but she had already disappeared.

Mari became the pacer as she strolled back and forth across Matt's driveway. She fought her mind, and it fought back. _Why are you here? Why wouldn't I be here? Why are you running away from your problems? That's very unlike you. Not only is it unlike you, it's flat out rude. You are a real dirt pile, you know that? Peter loves you, and you have totally left him out to dry._

She fought against her sadness; countering it with anger. _It wasn't cool the way he sprung that proposal on me. I was totally expecting a break up, so when he asked me to marry him, it threw me for a loop. And I don't like to be thrown for loops. I thought he'd know that by now._

A bright light flashed across her face, and she looked up and into it; seeing nothing. She held her hand out in front of her face, throwing a shadow over her eyes. She knew it was Matt, and yet they both waited for their eyes to adjust. "Hey." He said, his voice breaking a little bit as he rubbed his eyes.

"Hey, uh…" She looked down at her situation, realizing there was no explanation that would justify why she was here. "I uh, wanted to visit." Matt tilted his head to the side, one eyebrow raised as he questioned her.

"Really?"

"Well, no not really. But that's the reason I'm gonna give you." Matt chuckled. He opened the door wider, extending an invitation. Mari smiled shyly, and walked in.


	4. Chapter 4

Matt pulled the door into place behind him, and watched cautiously as Mari walked into his living room. She halfway sat down on the couch, and then remembered her manners. "May I…?" Matt swept his arm outwards, gesturing at the room.

"What's mine is yours." Her eyes followed his hand, and she sat down; nuzzling up against the armrest. There seemed to be an understanding between them, that Mari needed him, and the fact that they lived nowhere near each other didn't waver her determination to see him. He awkwardly sauntered over to the couch and sat down against the other armrest; steeling himself, preparing to talk to the woman he loves about her fiance.

"So, what kind of fun activities do you have here?" Mari said, weirdly nonchalant. Matt blinked.

"Wait, what?"

"You know, video games. Or board games, I don't judge." Matt laughed; slightly relieved. She watched as his lips moved, his eyes crinkled. He stood, and walked to the drawer underneath his TV where he kept his Xbox game stash. He kneeled, and started tugging on the handle. It took three attempts at unjamming it, before it opened all the way. Mari simply watched, trying her hardest not to laugh. Matt caught a glimpse of her face, and immediately defended himself.

"It's not my fault. They don't make drawers big enough." After a moment of silence, Mari broke out into a trill of bell like laughter. "It's not funny." But even Matt was trying not to laugh now; and watching Mari crack up was not making it easier. As he started laughing with her, they caught each other's gazes. Both pairs of smiling eyes stared at the other, waiting for the them to look away. Neither did. For the longest time, they just smiled; watching the other person's expression.

Mari's eyes were finally torn from Matt by her phone. She looked down at it, only to realize she had already received 10 messages, and 3 missed calls from Peter. Her happiness immediately went sour; her face puckering with sadness. Matt leaned towards the ground, looking up at at her face. "Hey, you okay?" She looked back up at him, and sniffled before she spoke.

"Yeah, never better." She smiled genuinely, but her eyes were sad. He nodded, turning his attention back to the neverending pit of green plastic and cheesy covers.

After a minute, she knew she wasn't gonna cry. It wasn't gonna happen. There was no way in hell, that she was going to allow drops of saltwater to fall from her eyeballs. Matt pulled several games from the drawer of death, but for each there was a reason to deny it. He eventually shut the drawer (with some struggle), giving up on the xbox. He looked around the room, rather anxiously wondering how he was gonna make Mari feel better with no xbox. _Stop being so dirty minded, Matt. Geez,_ he thought to himself.

"I have a Wii in my room, we could make some Miis; but you know, make 'em look totally insane." That made Mari smile more than the idea of playing Minecraft had, so it was definitely the winner. They made their way upstairs, and when they reached the top, Mari spun in circles, facing each door for a second, wondering which way to go. Matt quickly followed, walking past her to his room. She followed him in, walking through the door he was holding open.

She walked to the middle of the room, and sat on his bed facing the biggest bedroom TV she had ever seen. He walked to the Wii, pushing the power button on both the console and the TV as he passed. He walked back towards Mari, sitting down on the bed; leaving about half a foot between them. As the screen came to life, he grabbed two controllers. pressing A on both before handing one to Mari.

She pointed her controller at the Mii Maker screen, and the fun began. As they took turns making people that were so far removed from normality that they weren't even humans anymore. By 3 am, they both had collections of creatures with eyes and mouths that weren't on their, with giant noses and moles. Some even had all their features shrunk, so they looked like a mad cartoon character.

During one particular laughing fit over one that had moles instead of eyes, they had gotten progressively closer to one another until their shoulders were touching. As Matt turned his head to look at her, she did the same. Their noses were centimeters apart. Their eyes were locked on each other. All the time they had spent together had led to this moment.


	5. Chapter 5

They were both completely engulfed in the sight and feel of each other. Matt brought his hand up to her face, and brushed her hair back behind her ear. Once he touched her, she wondered why it hadn't happened until now. Well, she knew why, but she refused to think about it.

She moved in closer to him. Before they touched, she looked directly in his eyes; watching for any act of denial. There was none. She softly pressed her lips to his, and he tried his best not to darken the moment with mental questioning. He kissed her back, thinking only of how soft her lips were, how good she smelled, and how amazing it felt to be living an experience he had dreamt of.

Their mouths started moving together. It quickly gained intensity, and it was no longer just a quick kiss you share with someone you like, it was the kind of kiss you share with someone you love.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding his face against hers. He had one hand on the small of her back, and the other was knotted in her hair. Both of their heads were spinning; mainly from lack of oxygen. Matt pulled away, breathing heavily as he looked into her wide eyes.

She was looking straight back, a sweet smile on her face. As she looked at him, her expression changed. Her eyebrows pulling together, gratitude filling her expression. She leaned in again, but this time she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. He was rather disappointed at first, but he quickly realized that Mari needed a hug right then; and there was no way he wasn't going to comply.

She pulled back slightly, and tugged on his shirt as she laid back on his bed. He went with her, and laid back at a higher angle; allowing her to snuggle into his chest. He kept his arm around her as she drifted into unconsciousness. Matt however, had never been more awake.

His mind raced, thinking of the difference between this morning and right now. He thought back to his first glimpse of Mari in the morning, when she had been strangely unenergetic. That afternoon, and how antisocial she'd been. Then after work when she'd confessed. And then… His mind rewound just minutes, to what had just happened. _Let it be known, that Mari Takahashi kissed ME,_ he thought.

He was smiling uncontrollably, thinking of how lovely tomorrow would be. Then a realization struck him. His heart fell as understanding sank in. _She doesn't really like me,_ he thought. _She's just nervous about getting married._ His expression drooped. _I can't blame her._

Mari rolled over, the light having seeped through her eyelids and effectively woken her. She soon realized that the movement should have put her practically on top of Matt. She opened her eyes, blinking into the light; praying that he had left so she could be alone with her thoughts. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see that he was gone, and that the door was closed behind him.

With a sigh, she sat up on his bed. She traced an infinity pattern on the comforter as she thought. _You know, you have a problem. Just when you start figuring your life out, you have to create more drama for yourself. "Oh no I can't say yes to Peter, but you know what I can do? Freakin' make out with Matt. Yeah, that'll solve all my problems. Idiot."_

She swung her legs off the edge of the bed, resting her feet on the carpet for a second before pushing herself into an upright position. As she approached the door, she could hear music.

It was a steady beat, with an occasional lyric. Once she opened the door, it became very apparent why he had closed it behind him. The sound waves hit her immediately; making her wonder what kind of nerdy soundproof walls he had installed.

She silently made her way down the stairs, stopping once Matt was in view. A smile covered her face as she realized what was happening. He was dancing like no one was watching.

He isolated parts of his body, moving them individually to the beat of the music. Her smile slowly faded as she watched him. She looked down at her shoes, knowing that if she could go back, she would choose Matt in a heartbeat. She shook her head, her hair falling around her. _You can't think like that. You're getting married._

The music stopped instantaneously, leaving the room deathly quiet; with only the sound of her sniffling. "Mari? Are you okay?" The first sob tore through her chest. He walked quickly to her step, sitting down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she shrugged out of it; standing and backing away from him.

She wiped her nose on her sleeve, and her voice broke as she said his name. "I'm sorry Matt, I can't do this with you. God knows I like you a lot, but I'm getting marr-" he held his hand out, interrupting her. He stood, taking a step towards her.

"It's okay Mari, I understand." His acceptance just saddened her more. Her eyes were red, and her face was shiny with tears; but all Matt could think about was how amazing she was, and how he would never forget their friendship when she was off rock climbing with her husband.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next couple days, an understanding was reached. They would remain friends, but Mari was in fact going to marry Peter, and she would have to forget about her feelings for Matt.

Her and Peter made up easily, he understood her jitters. Within weeks, Matt's worst nightmare was confirmed as he looked down at the envelope on his desk.

It was heavy paper, with a silky feel to it; expensive. He slid his finger underneath the flap, tearing open his own personal hell.

 _The recipient of this invite is hereby invited to the wedding of:_

 _Mari Takahashi_

 _and_

 _Peter-_

That was as far as he could make his eyes read. Every word hurt him; not because he wouldn't be happy, but because he knew she wouldn't be. As the door swung open and closed throughout the morning, he listened to people's opinions. Most people were happy, a few were talking about the whole "Iancorn" thing, but one voice stuck out among the crowd. It was easily recognizable as Flitz, and he made a point that Matt wished had been made before she said yes. "This wedding isn't about love, it's about obligation; and that's no way to start a life together."

As the satin slid over her skin, she felt the weight of her choices against her chest, her lungs. It took all of her strength to keep her head up, to look at herself in the mirror. The consultant chattered in her ear endlessly, and all Mari caught was that she can't return the dress during this final fitting, and that yellow is the ugliest color.

She looked herself over, stretching her sleeved arm out, and placing her bare one on her hip. Then she pulled the veil over her face, and pretended she was holding a bouquet. The actions felt empty; like she had no power over anything. She dropped her arms. The way she looked was alien, even to herself. She turned to the professionally dressed lady that she couldn't remember the name of, and confirmed her order.

As the wedding got closer, they conversed less and less; the sight of each others unhappiness becoming unbearable. The few interactions they had were coated with insincerity. As Mari considered what could have been, Matt thought of what could be.

Mari thought about the differences between Peter and Matt, and she knew that if she chose wrong, she would regret it forever. While Matt considered every possible solution to the problem.

He could always just flat out run away, but that wouldn't solve anything. Or he could accept it, which would solve everything. But the third option loomed large in his head; as he thought of ways to make his affection apparent.

On her way out the door, Matt saw her hair disappear around the corner. With no thought given towards the idea, he stood up and ran after her. With the wedding tomorrow, she was leaving early to get some rest, and he was preparing to put on a brave face.

But before he took the high road, he went cliff diving. Matt chased her out the door, and caught her wrist just a step outside. She turned around, and he pulled her against him; wrapping his arms around her waist. He pressed his lips against hers. It wasn't sweet, or charming; it was needy, desperate, and utterly correct.

Mari's sense of security in her decision was thrown out the window the second Matt touched her. It was as if there had never been anybody else. As he pulled away, she opened her eyes slowly. Her face must have given away how confused she was. "Mari, I want you to know that I'll always be here for you." Her expression was unchanging. "I need you to know that." She nodded. He released her, turning and walking back inside.

She automatically walked to her car. As soon as the door shut behind her, she curled up in a ball; trying so hard to think of Peter, but finding herself thinking only of Matt.


	7. Chapter 7

Mari could hear the voices of the guests, growing in volume as they filed into the church. She was standing in front of a mirror, practicing her smile as her bridesmaids pinned up her hair with delicate precision.

She could feel the slight tightening of her chest, and immediately moved it to the back of her mind; she didn't have room in her head to think about it. She dug through her brain, trying to find the reason for why she was unhappy. She came up blank every time.

Matt was sitting in a pew, looking up at the stained glass windows; in between the heads of Mari's relatives. Physically, he was chatting quietly with Lasercorn and Joven; but his mind couldn't stop moving. It skipped from thought to thought, and every thought had a thought that followed. There was no end to the cycle of anxiety.

Every minute or so, he would look back over his shoulder; to where he knew Mari was getting ready. He wondered if she had thought about him over the past day. He wondered if he held a negative connotation in her mind after the jerk move he pulled yesterday. _You can't kiss people the day before their wedding,_ he thought. _It's not like she's available._ But still, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make himself regret it.

Mari heard the music start, and the sound of the organ made her chest tighten and her vision blur. She looked up, realizing that everyone was gone. She turned around, and saw her father. He said something, but she couldn't hear. It was like he was yelling down a tunnel. She walked to him, and all she heard was "come." Then he took her by the arm, and walked her straight to the beginning of the aisle.

The world spun around her. She felt like she was gonna wretch. She felt the air around her move as everyone stood. Her eyes scanned the room, hoping to find a face that would stabilize her mental state. And she did. Matt's calm expression left her staring. He was wearing a suit, with his hair swept to the right. He looked back at her panicked eyes with the perfect expression. His face said, _you can do this._ And in that moment that's what she needed.

As she arrived at the end of the aisle, she realized what she'd been missing. She let out a gust of air as the realization punched her in the gut. She'd been completely oblivious to the depth of her feelings for Matt. Now that she was committing to somebody else, she didn't wanna let him go. The minister started talking, and all she could do was stare at Peter's forehead, and let her mind explore a previously forbidden pathway.

 _He's always been here for me, and when he says he always will be, I believe him. When he looks at me, I feel safe. Nothing can stop me when he's around. Everything I do around him is natural, and I love spending copious amounts of time with him. Not once has he let me down. I've been pretending not to like him for so long, because I knew that once this door was kicked down, there was no going back. And boy was I correct._

She looked into Peter's eyes, and her mind was wiped blank. Immediately, she panicked. _I can't do this. I can't, I can't, I can't._ She started sweating as Peter took her hand, and the minister started his final lines. _I can't believe what I've done. This was a mistake. This was a terrible, terrible mistake._ "Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

Mari looked to Peter, her face terror stricken. Peter saw her expression, and raised an eyebrow. Just before the minister began again, a whisper spread throughout the crowd; intertwined with gasps and coughs. The minister stuttered, staring at something behind Mari's head. She turned around slightly, looking into the audience. She found nothing out of the ordinary, so she turned farther. That's when she saw what the commotion was about.

Matt was standing, his hand raised in protest. He lowered his hand, and cleared his throat. "Look, I know that whole 'speak now or forever hold your peace' line is supposed to prove how nobody disagrees with this marriage, but I happen to. Now, be respectful and let me talk to my friend." He turned his shoulders, and looked directly at Mari.

Her jaw had dropped with surprise, and she couldn't find the muscles that would shut her mouth all the way. Peter was looking at Matt with wide, furious eyes. The entire room had nothing to say that would help the situation, so nobody spoke a word. Complete silence washed over the room.

"Mari, I want you to listen to me; and if nothing I say affects you at all, then you can kick me out and unfriend me. But I know you too well not to say anything. To be honest, you look like you're gonna puke. You're sweating, and I can tell from here that you're shaking with fear. I want to remind you, that love shouldn't be an obligation. If you aren't whole heartedly happy right now, then you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing. I've been your friend for quite a while, and right now, should be the happiest I've ever seen you; and the fact that it's not, just, kills me. Seeing you unhappy kills me, Mari; and I'm way too selfish to die." Mari's eyes were starting to water, as she listened and memorized every word he said.

"You don't wanna marry him. I can see it in your eyes. I see it in the way you act at work, the way you look down when people ask you about it. You're supposed to be starting a new chapter in your life, and this is not a start, this is a halting stop." He took a breath, slowly realizing that he was almost out of time before Peter slaughtered him. "I want you to be happy, Mari; I need you to be happy."


	8. Chapter 8

The room held its breath, waiting for Mari to respond. She tore her eyes from Matt, looking to her fiance. He was watching, with an expression that can only be described as heartbroken. His eyes were glassy and shattered; like the world had just been knocked out from under him. He met Mari's gaze. "Is that true?" Mari wanted so badly to hug him, but she knew that would fix nothing. She simply nodded; nothing Matt said had been incorrect.

Peter dropped his head, slouching down to the ground. He didn't break down and cry, he didn't even frown. He looked up at Mari, with a light smile on his face. "Well?" She looked confused. "Run to your prince, silly. Go be happy." The underlying sadness in his voice brought tears to her eyes. She walked up to him, and leaned down to half hug him with one arm. She released him quickly though, and then she turned to Matt.

She ran to him. She grabbed him by the elbow, and pulled him from the pew into the aisle. She threw her arms around him, bouquet and all. She started half sobbing half laughing with joy as the weight of this situation was lifted off her shoulders. She released him, and handed her bouquet to Joven. Who handed it to Lasercorn, who handed it to Ian, who handed it to Anthony, who tossed it over his shoulder and into somebody's unsuspecting lap.

Mari took Matt's hand, and they both took off down the aisle. Laughing nervously as they went. As the guests watched them leave, they all looked at each other. Peter and the minister (who hadn't fully processed the predicament yet) shared a glance. Nobody wanted to just get up and leave, but nobody wanted to stick around.

Matt and Mari's hands were intertwined, pulling each other along towards the parking lot. Mari used her free hand to tear her veil from her hair; tossing it on the ground as they ran. They got to his car, and he held the door for her while she tucked her skirt into the small space. He shut her door, and ran around the front to get in the driver's seat. He swung himself into the correct position, and then he paused; contemplating. "Mari, where are we going?" She looked across at him, her smile minimizing.

"Well, I was thinking we could go to your place, eat pizza and play Mariokart; but I'm open to suggestions." Matt smiled wider than before. He reached for her hand, and she gladly took his.

"No wonder I'm falling for you; your priorities are definitely in order." Mari giggled, her eyes brightening. She leaned across the car, planting a kiss on his cheek. He turned his head, and pecked her on the lips. She leaned back, trying to contain her smirk as they drove off. They left behind everything that day, everything except each other.


	9. AN: Sequel?

Hello readers! Thank you so much for all the views and positive feedback. I have had several requests, both from and from wattpad to do a sequel. Now, that's where you guys come in. I want to know if you guys A) want a sequel, and B) what it should be centered around. So, let me know in the comments/reviews if you want me to just continue this plot, with Marhinki at the center. Or, if you'd like me to do the same basic plot, but based around another ship or character, etc. Thank you all for the support, and for even taking the time to read this silly little story.

-Author


	10. AN: Sequel!

Soooo I started a sequel. It's only a prologue right now, but I'll continue writing ASAP.

It's called, "Marhinki: An Unbelievable Fairytale"

Thank you all so much for reading something I wrote just because I was bored.

-Author


End file.
